Infusion bag



J1me 1957 R. w. VERGOBBI 2,794,744

INFUSION BAG Filed Feb. 1, 1956' INVENTOR. J y-J I azgfin/ya doaa- Arm/awn United States Patent INFUSION BAG Robert W. Vergobbi, Quincy, Mass., assignor to Pneumatic Scale Corporation, Limited, Quincy, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 1, 1956, Serial No. 562,837

3 Claims. (Cl. 9977.1)

This invention relates to an infusion bag.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved infusion bag having a handle secured thereto in a simple, practical and economical manner.

With this general object in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the infusion bag hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. l is a front view of a two section foldable tag having one end of a handle placed over one of the sections;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the end of the handle heat sealed between the folds of the two section tag;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a blank of bag making material showing the other end of the handle folded upon itself and placed within the edge of the mouth portion prior to folding, filling and sealing the bag;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the completed bag and handle showing the folded end of the handle heat sealed between opposed side walls of the mouth of the bag, and the handle wound around the bag with the extended end of the handle detachably secured to the bag; and

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the completed bag showing the handle detached and extended for use.

In general the present invention contemplates an infusion bag of the type produced by folding a rectangular blank of heat sealable filter paper to form two half sections and joining the edges thereof, preferably by a heat sealing operation, after a quantity of the infusion material, such as tea, has been deposited into the bag. The bag forming material preferably comprises a thin porous filter paper embodying a thermoplastic material on at least one surface thereof which becomes adhesive upon being subjected to heat and pressure to cause adherence of the confronting inner faces of the paper. In accordance with one feature of the present invention a handle comprising a flexible member, such as a relatively narrow strip or ribbon of paper, cellophane or other suitable material, is attached to the bag by interposing a portion of the flexible handle between the opposed walls of the mouth portion of the bag section prior to heat sealing thereof and thereafter closing and heat sealing the mouth portion to close the bag and to attach the flexible handle thereto. In practice a tag is provided on the extended end of the handle which may be attached thereto, preferably by heat sealing. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the flexible handle is wound around the bag and a portion of the handle extending beyond the tag is attached to the bag, preferably by heat sealing, whereby to prevent entanglement of the handle and the tag with similar bags and handles when packed in a container for shipment.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to Figs. 3 and 5, the present infusion bag is herein illustrated as comprising a flat bag formed from a rectangular blank 12 of heat sealable bag forming material pref- 2,794,744- Patented June 4, 1957 erably comprising a thin porous paper web having thermoplastic material incorporated therein preferably on one side of the paper only. In the production of the bag the rectangular blank 12 is folded along a medial line 14 to form two half sections and to present the thermoplastic faces together whereupon the marginal side edges are heat sealed by the application of heat and pressure. A quantity of tea or other infusion material 15 is then deposited within the bag through the open top thereof.

In accordance with the present invention the mouth of the infusion bag is provided with a flexible handle 16 which may comprise a thin and relatively narrow length of paper, cellophane or the like, preferably of a non-heat sealable material. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention one side wall of the mouth portion of the flat bag is preferably extended a short distance beyond the other side wall, as indicated at 17, to expose a portion of the inner thermoplastic surface of the bag for a purpose to be described. As clearly shown in Fig. 4, one end of the handle 16 is folded upon itself and inserted between the walls of the mouth portion adjacent the central portion thereof whereupon the side walls of the mouth portion are subjected to the application of heat and pressure to render adhesive the thermoplastic material in the confronting inner faces of the paper whereby to secure the folded end of the handle between the opposed walls of the mouth portion and to seal the mouth of the bag. It will be observed that folding of the inserted end of the handle presents a greater length of the handle in adhesive contact with the bag, and the handle is thus less liable to be inadvertently detached than a structure wherein a single unfolded length is inserted and secured in the bag mouth. In practice during the heat sealing of the bag mouth the adhesive thermoplastic material tends to flow around the inserted portion of the handle to securely bond the handle to the bag month.

As herein illustrated, the other end of the handle 16 is extended through an opening 19 formed in the lower edge of the extended portion 17 of the bag wall immediately above the sealed mouth portion, and as illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the other end of the handle 16 is provided with a tag 18 which may and preferably will be heat sealed to the handle. The tag 18 may comprise a relatively thin paper also embodying a thermoplastic material on at least one surface thereof and formed in two sections adapted to be folded together. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the extended end of the handle 16 is interposed between the folds of the tag and subjected to heat and pressure to render adhesive the thermoplastic material of the inner faces of the tag whereby to seal the two sections of the tag together and to adhesively secure the handle therebetween. As illustrated, the end of the handle may extend a short distance beyond the tag.

In order to prevent entanglement of the handle with the handles of other bags during packing and shipment the handle is preferably Wound around the bag, as shown in Fig. 4, and the extended end of the handle may then be heat sealed lightly to the exposed thermoplastic inner surface of the extended wall portion 17 of the bag, as indicated at 20, in a manner such that the tag end of the handle may be easily detached by the consumer to extend the handle for use as shown in Fig. 5.

The handle may be placed in operative relation to the bag material prior to heat sealing thereof in any convenient manner, one expedient being illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein the handle may be supported lengthwise along the outer face of the rectangular blank 12 and the folded end of the handle bent over into engagement with the adjacent mouth portion prior to the folding operation.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be underrial 'comprisinga 'reetah'g'ul'ar sheet folded upon itselff 'ai cl folded sheet having thermoplastic material on at'least'the inner'fac'es thereof and being heat sealed along theiside edges an'dinouth 'of'the bag; one'wallef sai'd month per tion extending beyond 'the other to expose a'hea't scalable inner face portion the'reofla handle comprising a relatively narrow'st'rip of material-having one end thereof inserted and heat sealed between 'the walls of said mouth and provided with atag intermediatethe ends thereof, said handle being extended through'an opening-Vin said'extended wall above the sealed mouth portion and wound around the 'bag,"the other end of the handle being'heat sealed to the thermoplastic surface of saidextended wall portion and capable of being easily detached to permit extension of the handle.

2. An infusion bag containing beverage infusion material 'comp'ris'ing a rectangular sheet folded upon itself, said folded sheet having thermoplastic material on 'at least the inner faces thereof 'and'being'heat sealed along the side edges and mouth of the bag, one wall of said-mouth portion'extending beyond the other to expose a heat scalable inner face portion thereof, a handle comprising a relatively and heat sealed between the walls of said mouth, said handle being extended through an opening in said extended wall above the sealed mouth portion and wound around the bag, the other end of the handle being heat sealed to the thermoplastic surface of said extended wall portion and capable of being easilydetaehed-to permit extension of the handle, and a'tag having athermoplastic material on at least one face thereof and folded upon and heat sealed adjacent the'extended endof the handle.

3. An infusion bag as definedin claim 2 wherein said one end of the handle is folded upon itself and heat sealed between the walls of said mouth.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ne -is 

1. AN INFUSION BAG CONTAINING BEVERAGE INFUSION MATERIAL COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR SHEET FOLDED UPON ITSELF, SAID FOLDED SHEET HAVING THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL ON AT LEAST THE INNER FACES THEREOF AND BEING HEAT SEALED ALONG THE SIDE EDGES AND MOUTH OF THE BAG, ONE WALL OF SAID MOUTH PORTION EXTENDING BEYOUND THE OTHER TO EXPOSE A HEAT SEALABLE INNER FACE PORTION THEREOF, A HANDLE COMPRISING A RELATIVELY NARROW STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING ONE END THEREOF INSERTED AND HEAT SEALED BETWEEN THE WALL OFSAID MOUTH AND PROVIDED WITH A TAG INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, SAID HANDLE BEING EXTENDED THROUGH AN OPENING IN SAID EXTENDED WALL ABOVE THE SEALED MOUTH PORTION AND WOUND AROUND THE BAG, THE OTHER END OF THE HANDLE BEING HEAT SEALED TO THE THERMOPLASTIC SURFACE OF SAID EXTENDED WALL PORTION AND CAPABLE OF BEING EASILY DETA CHED TO PERMIT EXTENSION ON THE HANDLE. 